Adjustable hemmer attachment for sewing machines



Nov. 29, 1938. G i N 2,138,492

ADJUSTABLE HEMMER ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Oct. 7, 1936 Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT ()F'FlfiE.

ADJUSTABLE HEMMER' ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Application October 7,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to sewing machine attachments, and more particularly to an attachment for the usual household sewing machine for making a hem at the edge of a piece of ma- 5 terial, and one particularly adapted for use in making relatively wide hems, it being understood that the device is adjustable so that the width of hem may be varied from a relatively narrow one to a relatively wide one. The particular device illustrated in the drawing is capable, for example, of making hems up to one and one-half inches in width, and is adjustable to make a hem of any less width down to what would be considered a relatively narrow hem.

Adjustable sewing machine hemmers have been made in the past, but such devices have been somewhat limited in their range of adjustment in that it has not been possible with the use of such attachments to make wide hems. Also these devices have consisted of a relatively large number of parts secured together by screws or rivets, and for this reason have been relatively expensive to manufacture and assemble. Moreover, the parts themselves have been of such formation that they have often required expensive finishing operations, and this also has added to the cost of the finished article.

One object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable hemmer which will have a wide range of adjustments to make hems ofany width from a relatively narrow one up to a relatively wide one.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a hemmer attachment for sewing machines in which the hemming mechanism will be adjustable relatively to the means which attaches the device to a sewing machine, in order that adjustment may be made to properly present the hem to the sewing machine needle, so that the line of stitching will be made at the proper distance from the edge of the hem.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable hemmer for attachment to the 5 of such construction that it may be made ecousual household sewing machine, which will be 1936, Serial No. 104,432

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the attachment;

Fig. 4" is a detail perspective view of the folderguide;

Fig. 5 Ba perspective view of the adjustable especially in Figs. 2 and 3, the base or body portion of the hemmer designated generally by the numeral H and shown in Fig, 6, the adjustable cloth guide I2, shown in Fig. 5, and the folderguide designated generally by the numeral l3 and shown in perspective in Fig. 4.

The foot is provided with a U-shaped upper end, as shown at M, designed to be attached to the presser bar of a sewing machine, and a laterally extending foot or plate portion l at its lower end. This foot portion is provided with a pair of openings I6 and I1, the opening I! being provided to permit the passage therethrough of the sewing machine needle in its reciprocating movement.

The opening I6 is designed to receive a screw or similar fastening member l8 passed through a slightly elongated slot IS in the body or base portion H of the hemmer. This base portion carries the hemming mechanism, and the elongated slot I9 provides for a lateral adjustment of the hemming mechanism with respect to the foot I0, and therefore with respect to the needle bar of the sewing machine, so that the line of stitching may be adjusted to be effected at the proper place on the hem. The base ll is also provided with an elongated opening designed to have a portion thereof register with the needle opening ll, the opening 20 being elongated so that a portion will always be in registration with the needle opening regardless of the adjustment adjacent the path of the hem from the folding mechanism to the needle so as to serve to properly guide the hem to the needle. It will be seen that this member 23 is formed by striking out a portion of the arm 2| and forming it in the desired shape. The body portion of the arm 23 lies in a raised position slightly above the plane of the surface of the arm 2|.

Upon the forwardly extending portion 22 of the base member I I is a guide block 25 provided with a threaded opening 26. This guide block is formed,,as illustrated, by doubling or bending uponitself a tongue out from the member 22, that is, this block 25 comprises a strip of material integral with the arm 22 and bent over upon the upper surface of this arm.

This guide block 25 is adapted to be received in a relatively long slot 21 in the adjustable cloth guide I2. This guide member comprises a base portion 28 within which the slot 2'! is formed, and a spring finger or arm 29, which is formed integrally with the base portion 28 and is disposed in a plane slightly above the plane of the base portion. This arm 29 extends slightly beyond the base portion 28 and is curved downwardly at its outer end, as shown at 30, and is there provided with a cloth guiding member 3|. A cooperating cloth guide member 32 is formed upon the adjacent end of the plate or base portion '28, these guide members 3| and 32 being spaced slightly from each other, as shown in Fig. 3, and extending substantially parallel to the travel of the material. It will be understood that the cloth is brought upwardly between these members during. the hemming operation, and foldedabout the member 32 to form the outer edge of the hem or the edge of the finished goods. A folder-guide member i3 is shown in perspective view in Fig. 4, and, as shown, this member comprises a piece of sheet metal having a body or base portion 33. To form the folder-guide the metal is doubled upon itself at an intermediate point so that a considerable portion thereof is of two-ply thickness. The edge 34 of this doubled portion of the device is then curled or turned inwardly in substantially involute form, as shown in Figs. 1 and l, this end being turned substantially through an angle of 360, so that the doubled edge is brought to a position spaced only slightly above the upper surface of the upper ply of material. The free end 35 of the upper ply of material is then brought upwardly over the involute folder-guide as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, this free edge serving to some extent to guide the edge of the cloth toward and below the turning edge 34.

The base portion 33 ofthis member is provided with an opening 36 which is adapted to receive a thumb screw 3'! threaded into the opening 26 to hold the folder-guide member upon the guide block 25. A downwardly extending tongue 38 is adapted to abut the rear end of the guide block 25 so that there will be no tendency of V the folder-guide to swing about the screw 3's. Likewise, this member is provided with a pointer 39 designed to cooperate with a scale 49 upon the member 28 toindicate the width of the hem formed by any given adjustment of the mech- ,anism.

As stated, the device comprises only four parts in addition to the screws l8 and 37, and it will be understood that the parts H, 52 and E3 are all formed from sheet metal principally by stamping operations, so that they may be made very cheaplyyand at the same time be made ac- .curately so that not only may the parts be readily assembled, but also so that the device will perform neat and accurate work.

In assembling the parts, the base member or support II is superposed upon the foot member l and the screw l8 secured in place. The adjustable cloth guide 12 is then placed upon the base member in such aposition that the guide block 25 lies within the slot 2'! so as to properly guide the member l2 in its sliding movements. The folder-guide is then placed upon the guide block 25 with the opening 36 registering with the opening 26, and the screw 37 secured in place. The device is now all assembled and ready for use.

In the use of the device, the screw 31 may be loosened and the adjustable guide member [2 moved longitudinally along the block 25 until 7 the pointer 39 points to the correct indication on the dial to indicate the width of hem which it is desired to make. The screw is then tightened up and the device is ready for use, it being understood that the attaching member M has been secured to the presser bar of the machine.

The edge of the material to be hemmed is brought below the plate member 28 from the left-hand side, as shownin Fig. 3, and its edge brought upwardly about the guide member 32, that is, between this member and the guide member 3!. The edgeIis then brought over the involute folder-guide and below the downwardly turned edge 34 of this member, and forwardly within the hooked or turned end 24 of the spring arm 23, and thence to the machine needle. The machine now being placed in operation, the cloth or material is fed forwardly by the usual feed mechanism of the sewing machine, and a neat hem of accurate width will result. If it is found that the line of stitching made by the sewing machine is tooolose to the edge of the'hem, or too far from this edge, the screw l8 may be loosened. and the entire mechanism moved with respect to the foot l9 bythe adjustment permitted by the slot l9.

It will be seen that the device has a Wide range of adjustment, this range being determined in the present instance by the difference between the length of the slot 21 and the guide block 25.

It will also be noted that the folder-guide separate members have been used for this purpose. I

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is: V

l. A hemming attachment for sewing machines comprising an attaching member, a base member carried thereby, an adjustable guide member slidable on said base member, the latter being provided with a guide block, and the guide member having a slot within which said block is received, said block comprising a tongue formed comprising attaching means, a base membercar ried by said attaching means, an adjustable guide carried by said member, and a folder-guide supported above said adjustable guide, said folderguide comprising a sheet metal member of involute form and having an upwardly facing opening at its upper side.

3. A hemming attachment for sewing machines comprising attaching means, a base member carried by said attaching means, an adjustable guide carried by said member, and a folderguide supported above said adjustable guide, said folder-guide comprising a sheet metal member of involute form and having a free end projecting laterally at the upper side of the involute to guide the material therein.

4. A hemming attachment for sewing machines comprising attaching means and hemming mechanism carried thereby, said mechanism including a folder-guide, and said folder-guide comprising a sheet of material doubled upon itself at one end, and said doubled end being turned inwardly in involute form over the upper surface of the body of said member, and the free end of said doubled portion being turned upwardly and outwardly over the involute.

5. A hemming attachment for sewing machines comprising an attaching member, a base member carried. thereby, a guide member slidingly adjustable on said base member, a folder-guide carried by said base member, and common means for securing said folder-guide and said adjustable guide to said base member.

6. An adjustable hemming attachment for sewing machines comprising attaching means, a base member carried by said attaching means, a guide i block mounted on said base member, an adjustable guide member slidably mounted on said base member and having a slot within which said block is received, and a folder guide secured to said block and disposed above said adjustable guide member.

7. An adjustable hemming attachment for sewing machines comprising attaching means, a base member carried by said attaching means, a guide block mounted on said base member, an adjustable guide member slidably mounted on said base member and having a slot within which said block is received, and a folder guide secured to said block and disposed above said adjustable guide member, said folder guide being provided with indicating means cooperating with means on the adjustable guide member to indicate the width of the hem being formed.

8. An adjustable hemming attachment for sewing machines comprising a base member, means to attach said base member to the presser bar of the sewing machine, an adjustable guide member slidably connected to said base member, a folding device secured to the base member and disposed above said guide member, said folding device having an outwardly facing opening at its upper side to receive the edge of the material to be hemmed.

9. An adjustable hemming attachment for sewing machines comprising a base member, means to attach said base member to the 'presser bar of the sewing machine, an adjustable guide member slidably connected to said base member, a folding device secured to the base member and disposed above said guide member, said folding device comprising a member coiled upon itself and provided with a plate portion secured to the base member, and being also provided with an outwardly directed opening above the coiled portion.

GEORGE L. HINMAN. 

